Essay Plan for "How are Animals Important in Of Mice and Men?"
This essay plan will help structure a well-developed response based on AO1 (Textual Knowledge &
Analysis) and AO4 (Contextual Understanding) as required by the mark scheme.
Introduction
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Introduce Of Mice and Men as a novel that heavily relies on animal imagery to develop its themes
and characters.
Mention that animals are used for foreshadowing, symbolism, and to highlight the brutality of
nature and society.
Briefly outline key points to be discussed.
1. Animals as Foreshadowing Devices
Key Points:
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The novel starts and ends with natural imagery (water snake, heron), creating a cyclical
structure.
The water snake escaping in the beginning but being eaten at the end symbolizes Lennie’s
inevitable fate.
Lennie’s accidental killing of animals (mice, puppies) foreshadows his unintentional killing of
Curley’s wife.
Quote: "I didn’t bounce you that hard" (when Lennie kills the puppy), showing his lack of
control.
AO4 - Context Link:
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Fate and Inevitability: The novel’s structure mirrors the struggles of marginalized people during
the Great Depression, whose fates were often out of their control.
2. Lennie’s Animalistic Nature
Key Points:
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Lennie is described as a bear, bull, and horse, emphasizing his strength.
However, he is also compared to a lamb, reinforcing his innocence and vulnerability.
His love for soft things leads to destruction, showing his lack of control over his strength.
His hallucination of a giant rabbit at the end represents his broken dreams.
Quote: "You ain't gonna get no rabbits."
AO4 - Context Link:
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Survival of the Fittest: The ranch workers live in a harsh world where only the strong survive.
Lennie, despite his physical strength, lacks mental capability, making him vulnerable.
3. Rabbits and the American Dream
Key Points:
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Lennie’s dream of tending rabbits symbolizes hope, security, and independence.
The fact that this dream is never achieved highlights the illusion of the American Dream.
The hallucinated rabbit scolding Lennie before he dies signifies the loss of hope.
AO4 - Context Link:
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The Great Depression: Many workers had dreams of a better life, but economic hardship made
them unattainable.
4. Symbolism of Other Animals (Candy’s Dog, Crooks, and Horses)
Key Points:
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Candy’s dog:
o Represents aging and weakness.
o Shot by Carlson because it’s useless, foreshadowing Lennie’s death for the same reason.
o Quote: "I ought to of shot that dog myself."
Crooks’ living conditions:
o Sleeps in straw like an animal, highlighting racial discrimination.
Horses’ reaction to Curley’s wife’s death:
o They stamp and snort, reflecting the chaos and panic of the moment.
AO4 - Context Link:
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Social Hierarchy & Discrimination:
o Weak members of society (the elderly, disabled, or marginalized individuals like Crooks)
were often discarded or ignored.
5. Harsh Reality of Nature and Society
Key Points:
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Slim drowning the weaker puppies because the mother couldn’t care for them reflects natural
selection.
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The novel suggests that only the strongest survive, reinforcing Steinbeck’s critique of social
Darwinism.
Without George, Lennie would have been institutionalized, as Crooks taunts:
o "They'll tie ya up with a collar, like a dog."
The lack of compassion in society is mirrored in the ranch hands’ attitudes toward weak
individuals.
AO4 - Context Link:
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Survival of the Fittest: The novel suggests that in both nature and human society, only the
strong thrive, leaving the weak to suffer.
Conclusion
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Summarize key points:
o Animals in the novel serve as foreshadowing devices, symbols of broken dreams, and
representations of societal brutality.
o Lennie’s dream of rabbits reflects the American Dream, while Candy’s dog highlights
society’s treatment of the weak.
End with a final thought:
o Steinbeck’s message: Both animals and people in Of Mice and Men are subject to fate,
powerlessness, and societal cruelty.
Final Notes on Marking Levels
This plan follows the Level 5 Criteria (33-40 marks):
AO1 - Strong textual evidence, in-depth
analysis, clear engagement with themes.
AO4 - Context is smoothly integrated, showing a deep understanding of historical and social
relevance.
Critical Style - Structured argument with logical flow and well-supported claims.
The Importance of Animals in Of Mice and
Men
John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is rich in symbolism, and animals play a crucial role in
reinforcing key themes such as fate, loneliness, and the fragile nature of dreams. Throughout the
novel, animals serve as foreshadowing devices, reflect the characters’ personalities, and symbolize
the struggles of marginalized individuals during the Great Depression. By examining these aspects,
it becomes clear how Steinbeck uses animals to deepen the reader’s understanding of the novel’s
themes.
Foreshadowing Through Animals
From the very beginning of the novel, Steinbeck employs animal imagery to establish the tone and
foreshadow events. The novel opens with descriptions of natural wildlife, such as rabbits and a
water snake, setting the pastoral scene. However, these animals are also used ominously: the heron
eating the water snake at the end of the novel mirrors Lennie’s inevitable fate, reinforcing the
novel’s cyclical structure. Similarly, Lennie’s past interactions with animals—his accidental
killing of mice by petting them too hard—hint at his later tragic mistakes, including the death of
Curley’s wife. This repeated pattern of unintended violence underscores the idea that Lennie,
despite his innocence, is doomed by his own strength.
Lennie’s Animalistic Characteristics
Steinbeck frequently describes Lennie using animal imagery, emphasizing both his physical power
and his lack of control. He is compared to a bear with "huge paws" and a bull, highlighting his
immense strength, while also being likened to a lamb, symbolizing his innocence. His obsession
with soft things, such as mice and puppies, underscores his childlike nature, yet his inability to
regulate his force leads to tragic consequences. This parallel between Lennie and animals suggests
that he operates more on instinct than rational thought, making him vulnerable in a world that does
not accommodate those who cannot conform to societal expectations.
Rabbits and the American Dream
One of Lennie’s defining motivations in the novel is his dream of tending rabbits on a farm with
George. The rabbits represent his idealized future—a life of security and self-sufficiency.
However, this dream is ultimately unattainable, just as many working-class individuals during the
Great Depression found their aspirations crushed by harsh economic realities. At the climax of the
novel, Lennie hallucinates a giant rabbit scolding him, symbolizing the collapse of his hopes. This
moment encapsulates Steinbeck’s broader commentary on the impossibility of the American
Dream for many.
Symbolism of Other Animals
Animals in Of Mice and Men also serve as a reflection of human experiences. Candy’s aging dog,
shot by Carlson because it is seen as useless, parallels Candy’s own fears about his worth as an old
ranch worker. The dog’s fate foreshadows Lennie’s, as both are considered burdens to society and
are ultimately killed by those who once cared for them. Additionally, the horses reacting in distress
when Lennie kills Curley’s wife mirror the chaos and fear surrounding the act, reinforcing the
novel’s motif of instinctive responses to danger.
The Harsh Reality of Nature and Society
The role of animals in the novel also highlights the survival-of-the-fittest mentality that governs
both the natural world and the world of the ranch hands. Crooks, the stable buck, sleeps in a room
described as “a long box filled with straw,” likening him to an animal and emphasizing his low
status in the social hierarchy. This reflects the dehumanization experienced by marginalized
individuals during this period. Furthermore, Slim’s drowning of the weaker puppies, stating that
the mother “couldn’t feed that many,” underscores the brutal reality of selection and survival,
mirroring the fate of the weaker members of society.
Conclusion
Through the use of animals, Steinbeck effectively conveys the themes of fate, loneliness, and the
harsh realities of life. Animals serve as a tool for foreshadowing, a means of characterization, and
a reflection of the struggles of individuals in the novel’s world. Whether through Lennie’s doomed
desire to care for rabbits, the sacrificial killing of Candy’s dog, or the instinctive actions of the
horses, Steinbeck uses animal symbolism to reinforce the novel’s bleak yet deeply human
messages. In the end, Of Mice and Men presents a world where both humans and animals are
subject to forces beyond their control, emphasizing the tragic inevitability of certain fates.
Assessment Based on AO1 and AO4
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AO1 (Knowledge and Understanding of the Text)
o Strong textual evidence (Lennie’s strength, Candy’s dog, foreshadowing).
o Clear, detailed analysis of key moments in the novel.
o Critical engagement with Steinbeck’s themes.
AO4 (Context and Interpretation)
o Discussion of the Great Depression and the American Dream.
o Analysis of social Darwinism and survival of the fittest.
o Recognition of the novel’s cyclical structure.